Department for Transport

Taxis: CCTV

Daniel Zeichner: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment his Department has made of the cost of CCTV in taxis and private hire vehicles on the vehicle owners.

Ms Nusrat Ghani: The Department for Transport has considered both the potential costs and benefits to passengers and drivers of CCTV to inform the Statutory Guidance for taxi and private hire vehicle licensing authorities that will be consulted on shortly.

Pollinators: Conservation

Ben Bradley: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps (a) his Department and (b) agencies of his Department have taken to support the National Pollinator Strategy on (i) roads (ii) railway lines.

Jesse Norman: The Highways England Biodiversity Plan (2015-2020) includes support for the National Pollinator Strategy. This covers such things as the creation and restoration of species-rich grasslands, both on the green verges of the Strategic Road Network and as part of the construction of new schemes.Network Rail is exploring opportunities to create new pollinator habitats across its estate. A range of initiatives are aimed at protecting pollinators, such as the Green Transport Corridors Project in Cumbria and South Yorkshire

Dartford-Thurrock Crossing

Sir David Evennett: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what the average journey time was to cross the Dartford Crossing northbound at peak times in each of the last ten years.

Jesse Norman: The table below contains the available average all-day journey time data for the northbound route from M25 Junction 2 to M25 Junction 30 which encompasses the Dartford Thurrock Crossing. This data represents that which has been collected and processed on a consistent and comparable basis since 2014. Unfortunately, the peak time only data for the same period is not available.  Average Journey Time, Dartford Crossing Northbound (M25 J2 - J30), 2014-18 Time period (month-year)Average journey time (minutes: seconds)Time period (month-year)Average journey time (minutes: seconds)Jan-1406:48Jan-1707:01Feb-1408:32Feb-1707:32Mar-1407:56Mar-1707:26Apr-1408:32Apr-1708:05May-1408:57May-1707:45Jun-1409:28Jun-1708:55Jul-1410:19Jul-1709:38Aug-1411:22Aug-1710:14Sep-1409:38Sep-1708:41Oct-1409:54Oct-1708:30Nov-1409:56Nov-1708:48Dec-1408:42Dec-1708:42Jan-1507:20Jan-1806:45Feb-1508:26Feb-1807:56Mar-1508:11Mar-1808:34Apr-1508:30Apr-1809:09May-1508:36May-1808:29Jun-1509:16Jun-1808:59Jul-1508:59Aug-1509:40Sep-1508:00Oct-1508:20Nov-1508:38Dec-1509:11Jan-1608:31Feb-1609:05Mar-1608:02Apr-1609:10May-1609:28Jun-1609:13Jul-1610:12Aug-1610:55Sep-1610:39Oct-1612:02Nov-1609:29Dec-1608:07

Department for Transport: Apprentices

David Linden: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how many apprentices are employed in his Department.

Ms Nusrat Ghani: The Department for Transport currently employees 236 apprentices across our central department and four executive agencies. This figure is made up of apprentices who have been externally recruited and existing employees undertaking an apprenticeship. This figure does not include apprentices employed by the Department waiting to start their apprenticeship.

Department for Transport: Pay

David Linden: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how many staff in his Department are paid less than £8.75 per hour.

Ms Nusrat Ghani: The table below shows the number of staff (expressed as a headcount) paid below £8.75 for DfT(c) and its Agencies, as at 31 July 2018. The figures provided cover staff in all locations within the UK. OrganisationHeadcount Below £Total HeadcountDfT(c)02,551Driving Vehicle & Standards Agency44,758Driver & Vehicle Licensing Agency256,013Maritime & Coastguard Agency11,134Vehicle Certification Agency0178

Department for Transport: Pay

David Linden: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how many staff in his Department are paid less than £10.20 per hour.

Ms Nusrat Ghani: The table below shows the number of staff (expressed as a headcount) paid below £10.20 for DfT(c) and its Agencies, as at 31st July 2018. The figures provided cover staff in all locations within the UK. OrganisationHeadcount Below £Total HeadcountDfT(c)02,551Driving Vehicle & Standards Agency284,758Driver & Vehicle Licensing Agency1,4216,013Maritime & Coastguard Agency21,134Vehicle Certification Agency1178

Shipping

Karl Turner: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if he will list the (a) shipping companies and (b) shipowner representatives that have attended meetings of the EU Exit Inter-Ministerial Groups with Ministers or officials from his Department.

Chris Grayling: Inter-Ministerial Group meetings have not included, and would not normally include, such attendance. Officials meet with shipping companies on a regular basis.

Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy

Geographical Information Systems: Technology and Innovation Centres

Rebecca Pow: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, whether he has had discussions with (a) the UK Hydrographic Office, (b) the Heart of South West LEP and (c) other partners on establishing a world-leading marine geospatial innovation centre in Taunton, and if he will make a statement.

Mr Sam Gyimah: The Department has had no specific discussions about the establishment of a Marine Geospatial Innovation Centre but I am aware of discussions happening locally, building on a regional initiative to establish a Digital Innovation Centre in Taunton. The UK Hydrographic Office (UKHO) has been working with the Heart of the South West Local Enterprise Partnership, Taunton Deane Borough and Somerset County Councils, and local academia to scope the feasibility of developing a Marine Geospatial Innovation Centre. The Department is engaged in discussions led by the Defence Growth Partnership to better coordinate and enhance local and regional expertise. Both the UKHO and the Heart of the South West LEP have been engaged in these discussions.

Foreign and Commonwealth Office

Cameroon: Politics and Government

Julian Knight: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what recent assessment he has made of the political and security situation in Cameroon; and what representations his Department is making to the Cameroon Government on those matters.

Harriett Baldwin: ​We remain deeply concerned about the deteriorating situation in the Anglophone regions, which continue to suffer from high levels of violence and human rights abuses perpetrated by both security forces and armed separatists. The British Government calls on the Government of Cameroon to take urgent action now to address the crisis in the Anglophone regions. We hope that President Biya will reach out to all sections of Cameroonian society and work to build confidence and trust. It is crucial for all parties to engage in a peaceful and structured process leading to constitutional reforms, as previously set out by the President, and avoid excessive use of force. The UK will continue to work alongside the international community to encourage and support efforts to resolve the Anglophone crisis. It is vital that all parties now work together to secure a peaceful future for all Cameroonians.

Mali: EU External Relations

Stephen Gethins: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what plans he has for continued cooperation with the EU in Mali.

Harriett Baldwin: The UK is unequivocally committed to European security and will continue to work closely with the EU on external security following our exit from the EU. Our future participation in EU missions will be subject to the Withdrawal Agreement negotiations. The UK's intention is to pursue a deep and special partnership which include the possibility of contributing to EU missions of mutual interest, such as in the Sahel. The UK is committed to working in the Sahel with our international partners - including the EU - to support the stabilisation of Mali and the wider Sahel. As part of this commitment we are increasing our diplomatic presence across the region, including a significant uplift of staff at our Embassy in Bamako.

South Sudan: Money Laundering

Sir Henry Bellingham: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what steps he is taking with (a) Kenyan and (b) Ugandan banks to close the financial and banking loopholes which enable money laundering in South Sudan.

Harriett Baldwin: Addressing the corruption that enables the conflict in South Sudan is crucial for tackling the culture of impunity that prevails. We welcome the recent release of the documentary The Profiteers, which will help to raise the international profile of this important issue. The British Government continues to work closely with regional partners, including Kenya and Uganda, international financial institutions, and other British Government departments to address the illicit financial flows fuelling the conflict in South Sudan, and to clamp down on corruption and money laundering. We continue to raise the importance of tackling illicit financial flows through all our engagement at Ministerial and senior official level.

Sudan: Religious Freedom

Sir Henry Bellingham: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, with reference to reports of the arrest and detention of 13 Christians in south Darfur in October 2018, what progress his Department has made through the UK-Sudan Strategic Dialogue on promoting freedom of religion or belief in Sudan.

Harriett Baldwin: The British Government is aware of reports of the detention of 13 Christians in Darfur last month, and welcomes their recent release. We continue to make clear to the Government of Sudan our expectation that all detainees are treated in accordance with international standards. Sudan remains a Human Rights Priority Country for the Foreign and Commonwealth Office and we discussed freedom of religion or belief at the sixth round of the UK-Sudan Strategic Dialogue on 7 November. I visited Sudan in September, and the Minister for the Commonwealth and UN visited in October. We both raised religious freedom issues with senior members of the government and with Christian and Muslim religious leaders.

Department of Health and Social Care

Veterans: Post-traumatic Stress Disorder

Nigel Dodds: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will make an assessment of the effectiveness of the steps taken by his Department to help veterans suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder.

Jackie Doyle-Price: Early in 2017, NHS England launched the Veterans Mental Health Transition, Intervention and Liaison Service (TILS) and Complex Treatment Service (CTS). TILS provides in-reach services for those in transition, leading up to, and leaving the armed forces; services for veterans with complex presentation; general services for veterans. The purpose of the CTS, which builds on the launch of TILS, is to provide an enhanced service for veterans who have military attributable complex mental health problems, including post-traumatic stress disorder, which have not been resolved earlier in the care/support pathway. Since October 2010, the Veterans Information Service has contacted all service leavers by email or post 12 months after discharge, to make them aware of mental health and other support available to them. Further details can be found on the NHS website at the following link: https://www.nhs.uk/using-the-nhs/military-healthcare/nhs-mental-health-services-for-veterans/

Suicide

Nigel Dodds: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, with reference to the Government press release entitled PM pledges action on suicide to mark World Mental Health Day, published on 9 October 2018, what assessment he has made of the benefits throughout the UK of the extra money announced for the Samaritans charity over the next four years.

Jackie Doyle-Price: The Government is providing funding of up to £1.8 million over the next four years to support the Samaritans United Kingdom-wide freephone helpline. This will help to ensure that millions of people who contact the Samaritans helpline each year from across the UK can continue to receive support when they reach out for help. The Samaritans regularly monitors and reviews the effectiveness of its helpline.

NHS: Data Protection

Nigel Dodds: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment has has made of the effect of the implementation of the general data protection regulation on administrative operations within the NHS.

Jackie Doyle-Price: No comprehensive assessment has yet been made within the National Health Service as we are still rolling out guidance. NHS England has provided a comprehensive suite of guidance products to help organisations recognise their obligations and put effective governance and risk management arrangements in place across the health and care sectors.

Hospitals: Infectious Diseases

Justin Madders: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will ask NHS England to make tackling healthcare acquired infections a priority in the upcoming long term plan.

Caroline Dinenage: The Government has announced a new five-year funding settlement for the National Health Service, which will see an increase of £20.5 billion in real terms by 2023-24 compared with today. NHS leaders are currently developing a long-term plan underpinned by this settlement. Although, no final decisions have been made over the share of funds to be allocated specifically to tackling healthcare acquired infections under the multi-year financial settlement, antimicrobial resistance and associated actions on infection prevention and control have been a part of the prevention workstream which is also a priority area for the Secretary of State.

Multiple Births: Antenatal Care

Justin Madders: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what plans he has to ensure the implementation of NICE guidance on antenatal care for (a) twin and (b) triplet pregnancies in maternity units in England.

Jackie Doyle-Price: In 2017, the Department funded the Twins and Multiple Births Association Maternity Engagement Project. This results from the interim report suggest that increased adherence to relevant National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) guidance gave better outcomes for multiple births. Taking this into account, the Department expects all health professionals working with multiple pregnancies to adhere to the relevant NICE guidance. To reduce variance in the levels of maternity care across trusts, all maternity services now have one obstetrician, one midwife and one board level Maternity Safety Champion jointly responsible for championing maternity safety, spreading learning and encouraging best practice within their organisations. This includes adherence to NICE guidelines on issues such as antenatal care for multiple pregnancies.

Palliative Care: Children

Carolyn Harris: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to ensure that guidance given to NHS and social care commissioners on how to commission children’s palliative care reflects National Institute for Health and Care Excellence guidance and quality standards.

Caroline Dinenage: ‘End of Life Care for Infants, Children and Young People: Planning and Management’, published by the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) in December 2016, sets out best practice for local services to deliver end of life and palliative care for infants, children and young with life-limiting conditions. The guidance was developed with the help of children at the end of their lives, as well as their brothers and sisters, in order to reflect what they felt was important from their care. Local commissioners, who are responsible for delivering the majority children’s palliative and end of life care, should take NICE guidance into account when planning services for local populations. To support implementation of the guidance NHS England commissioned Together for Short Lives, who are the leading children’s end of life care charity to examine services across the country to identify best practice in implementation of the guidance, as well as barriers, through interviews with local NHS services. Together for Short Lives has now provided a suite of solutions to enable local areas to meet the needs of children at the end of life. More information about this work can be found at the following link: www.togetherforshortlives.org.uk/changing-lives/supporting-care-professionals/introduction-childrens-palliative-care/nice-guidelines/ In September 2017 NICE published a Quality Standard (QS), based on its clinical guideline on end of life and palliative care in for infants, children and young with life-limiting conditions. QSs are important in setting out to patients, the public, commissioners and providers what a high-quality service should look like in a particular area of care. Whilst providers and commissioners must have regard to NICE QSs in planning and delivering services, they do not provide a comprehensive service specification and are not mandatory. Both the clinical guideline and QS can be found at the following links: www.nice.org.uk/guidance/ng61  www.nice.org.uk/guidance/qs160

Employment: Mental Illness

Adam Afriyie: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many additional people with mental health conditions he expects will be in work by 2023-24 as a result of decisions taken in Budget 2018.

Adam Afriyie: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many additional people he estimates will retain employment as a result of the individual placement support programme in (a) Windsor and (b) the South East by 2023-24.

Jackie Doyle-Price: Individual Placement and Support (IPS) is a National Institute for Health and Care Excellence-approved model of employment support designed to help individuals with severe and enduring mental illness (SMI) get into, and stay in work. United Kingdom IPS provision has grown in recent years and the Government is committed to a further expansion. In the 2018 Budget the Chancellor announced that the National Health Service will expand IPS services to help patients with SMI, benefitting 55,000 people by 2023-24. We are not able to forecast at this stage how many people will be supported to enter, or remain in work, or which parts of the country will see these outcomes as a result of this expansion of IPS. However, the IPS model is recognised both in the UK and internationally as the most effective way to help individuals with SMI find and keep a job.

Mental Health Services: Schools

Adam Afriyie: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many additional schools he estimates will have mental health support teams and specialist crisis teams in (a) Windsor, (b) the South East and (c) the UK by 2023-24.

Adam Afriyie: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how much additional funding there will be for children and young people’s mental health crisis teams in (a) Windsor and (b) the South East by 2023-24.

Adam Afriyie: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what estimate he has made of the additional mental health specialist ambulances that will be in service by in (a) Windsor and (b) the South East and (c) the UK by 2023-24.

Adam Afriyie: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, with reference to paragraph 5.10 of Budget 2018, how many A&Es in the Windsor constituency have been identified as major centres which will receive funding for comprehensive mental health support.

Adam Afriyie: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what estimate he has made of how many additional crisis cafes will be in service in (a) Windsor, (b) the South East and (c) the UK by 2023-24.

Adam Afriyie: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what estimate he has made of how many schools-based mental health support teams and specialist crisis teams for young people there will be in (a) Windsor and (b) the South East and (c) the UK by 2023-24.

Jackie Doyle-Price: The Government announced its long term financial settlement for the National Health Service in June. This will represent an increase of £20.5 billion in real terms by 2023/24. The Government has asked the NHS to develop a long term plan which will set out a vision for the health service. The Government has been clear that better access to mental health services, to help achieve the Government’s commitment to parity of esteem between mental and physical health, is one of the principles which must underpin the plan. The 2018 Budget set out some of aspects of what the long term plan will contain, and further details will follow when the plan is published in due course. Work on developing mental health support teams for schools forms part of the work to implement the proposals set out in the Green Paper, transforming children and young people’s mental health provision. The first wave of recruitment for the Educational Mental Health Practitioners who will form part of these teams is now under way, and 210 people will take their places on specialist training courses from January. The intention is that these trainees will start working in schools during 2019. The initial local areas, or trailblazer sites, that will trial the Green Paper proposals will be announced in due course.

Health Visitors

Vicky Foxcroft: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what information his Department holds on the number of health visitors in (a) England, (b) London and (c) the London Borough of Lewisham in each of the last 10 years.

Jackie Doyle-Price: NHS Digital publishes Hospital and Community Health Services (HCHS) workforce statistics for England. These include staff working in hospital trusts and clinical commissioning groups (CCGs), but not staff working in primary care or in general practitioner surgeries, local authorities or other providers. The following table shows the full time equivalent (FTE) figures of health visitors in England, London and the London Borough of Lewisham as at 30 September in the specified years and the latest available data.  EnglandOf which: LondonOf which: London Borough of Lewisham20078,9591,3086820088,6441,2766620098,1001,1254520107,8491,0743920117,8021,0564320127,6871,1183420138,3041,1933720149,1621,41158201510,2361,6396220169,5211,5566720178,4971,3076631 July 20187,8521,25958Source: NHS HCHS monthly workforce statistics, NHS Digital Due to changes in the data collection and processing methodology, figures for 2007 and 2008 are not directly comparable to figures from September 2009 onwards. Since September 2015 NHS Digital has been collecting Independent Healthcare Provider Workforce statistics. These statistics are collected biannually and published as experimental statistics. The following table shows the FTE figures of health visitors employed by Independent Healthcare Providers in England, as at 30 September each year since 2015 and the latest data available:  20152016201731 March 2018England9571,1321,2401,187Source: Independent Healthcare Provider Workforce Statistics, England, March 2018, NHS Digital Information is not held centrally on the number of health visitors in London and the London Borough of Lewisham from independent healthcare providers. As health visitors are employed by a range of organisations, including National Health Service trusts, CCGs, local authorities and private providers, current data collections do not cover the complete range of these organisations. Consequently, it is not possible to provide accurate data on the total size of the health visitor workforce.

Department of Health and Social Care: Brexit

Jon Trickett: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how much his Department has spent on consultancy fees relating to the UK leaving the EU since July 2016.

Caroline Dinenage: The question has been interpreted as requesting information regarding the level of consultancy spend by the core Department, as recorded in the Department’s Annual Report and Accounts. The definition employed for capturing consultancy services spend is in line with HM Treasury guidance on the preparation of Annual Report and Accounts in which consultancy services are defined as “the provision to management of objective advice relating to strategy, structure, management or operations of an organisation, in pursuit of its purposes and objectives. Such advice will be provided outside the ‘business-as-usual’ environment when in-house skills are not available and will be time-limited. Consultancy may include the identification of options with recommendations, or assistance with (but not the delivery of) the implementation of solutions.” Subsequently consultancy spend is recorded on the basis of this definition. As such we are only able to report against this in the Department’s Annual Report and Accounts, rather than on the basis of any different interpretation or perspective, such as reporting spend on consultancy by specific programmes such as European Union Exit. The Department’s expenditure on consultancy services, for each of the last two financial years is as follows: Financial YearConsultancy Services (£000’s)2017-1812,4022016-174,485

Hearing Impairment

Royston Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how much funding her Department has allocated to organisations that provide support to deaf people in each year since 2010.

Caroline Dinenage: The information requested is in the attached table.



PQ186395 attached table
(Word Document, 20.7 KB)

Hospitals: Fire Prevention

Chris Elmore: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, pursuant to the Answer of 25 July 2018 to Question 164527 on Buildings: Insulation, what estimate he has made of the number of hospitals in England and Wales of any height that have combustible (a) cladding and (b) insulation.

Stephen Barclay: This summer, the Government consulted on the use of combustible cladding on buildings. Following this consultation, we confirmed on 1 October that we will take forward this ban on all high-rise buildings that contains flats, as well as hospitals, residential care premises and student accommodation, above 18 metres. This ban will be delivered through changes to building regulations guidance and will limit materials available to products achieving a European classification of Class A1 or A2. This ban will apply to all new buildings and refurbishment. Data is not held centrally on hospitals or other National Health Service buildings that have combustible cladding. NHS trusts are locally responsible for their fire safety within existing legislation, and the NHS fire safety guidance, Firecode, is provided to support them in doing this. Under the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005, NHS organisations must, as far as is reasonably practical, make sure that everyone on the premises, or nearby, can escape safely if there is a fire. They will therefore consider the ban on combustible cladding as part of the regular fire risk assessments they carry out on their existing estate.

Rheumatology

Alex Sobel: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment he has made of the potential effect on (a) rheumatology healthcare professionals in the NHS and (b) the provision of treatment for people with rheumatology of the UK leaving the EU.

Stephen Barclay: NHS Digital publishes Hospital and Community Health Services (HCHS) workforce statistics. These include staff working in hospital trusts and clinical commissioning groups (CCGs), but not staff working in primary care or in general practitioner surgeries, local authorities or other providers. The information in the following table shows the number of Professionally qualified clinical staff in National Health Service trusts and CCGs in England in the rheumatology specialty group and the wider rheumatology area of work by nationality group, as at 30 June each year from 2016 and the latest available data, headcount: YearNationality GroupStaff in the Rheumatology speciality group and the wider Rheumatology area of work, headcountJune 2016All nationalities1,972Of which: United Kingdom1,529European Union127European Economic Area2Rest of the World179Unknown137June 2017All nationalities2,076Of which: United Kingdom1,601European Union140European Economic Area1Rest of the World193Unknown143June 2018All nationalities2,097Of which: United Kingdom1,635European Union142European Economic Area0Rest of the World210Unknown11131 July 2018All nationalities2,108Of which: United Kingdom1,639European Union143European Economic Area0Rest of the World215Unknown112Source: NHS Digital Quarterly HCHS workforce statistics. The Department continues to monitor and analyse overall staffing levels across the NHS and we are working across Government to ensure there will continue to be sufficient staff to deliver the high-quality services on which patients rely following the United Kingdom’s exit from the European Union. This includes the provision of treatment for people with rheumatology.

Hospices: Finance

Preet Kaur Gill: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what proportion of overall Government funding is allocated to (a) children's and b) adult hospices in England.

Caroline Dinenage: The funding and commissioning of palliative and end of life care for both adult and children services is a local matter, over which individual National Health Service commissioners have responsibility. Local commissioners are best placed to understand the needs of local populations and commission services to meet those needs accordingly.

Medical Treatments

Anneliese Dodds: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how NICE (a) classifies and (b) regulates new treatments made up of a combination of active substances.

Jackie Doyle-Price: The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence does not classify or regulate new treatments. Licensing of new medicines, including combinations of active substances, is undertaken by the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) or the European Medicine Agency in consultation with the MHRA. The MHRA is the Government agency responsible for ensuring that medicines and medical devices work and are acceptably safe. Most combinations of active substances are so-called ‘fixed combinations’ – most commonly a tablet containing two or more different medicines. Fixed combination applications can be classified as:- Products containing one or more new active substances;- Products containing a combination of previously licenced substances; and- Generic copies of the above. The legal basis for the regulation of combination medicinal products is given in European Union Directive 2001/83/EC as amended, and subsequently implemented into United Kingdom medicines legislation. The specific legal basis and the data requirements for combination medicinal products vary depending on the active substances in the combination, the development undertaken, and the licenced indications of the product.

Hearing Impairment: Children

Royston Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what financial support his Department makes available to support children with hearing difficulties.

Caroline Dinenage: NHS England commissions some services for children with hearing loss as identified in ‘Commissioning Intentions 2017/2018 and 2018/2019 For Prescribed Specialised Services’. These include provision of cochlear implants, bone conduction hearing aids and mental health services. Clinical commissioning groups (CCGs) are responsible for commissioning other hearing loss services for their local populations. As with other services which CCGs commission, they should take into consideration assessments of local need and any relevant guidance. ‘Commissioning services for people with hearing loss: A framework for clinical commissioning groups’, published by NHS England in July 2016, provides guidance to inform and support commissioners when making local decisions.

Social Services: Fees and Charges

Jo Platt: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how much funding from the public purse was allocated by his Department to enable local authorities in England to fund the full disregard of war pensions in social care financial assessments in (a) 2016, (b) 2017 and (c) 2018.

Caroline Dinenage: In response to the Royal British Legion’s ‘Insult to Injury’ campaign, the Government made a commitment in the 2016 Budget statement to introduce a disregard in the adult social care charging rules for War Pension Scheme payments to veterans to take effect from April 2017. The Department provided specific funding allocations to local authorities from 2017 when the disregard commenced and which fully funds the new burden on local government. The allocations are as follows:2017/18: £14 million2018/19: £13 million

Integrated Care Systems

Anneliese Dodds: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment he has made of the effectiveness of Integrated Care Provider contracts on improving (a) quality of care and (b) value for money.

Stephen Barclay: NHS England launched a 12 week public consultation on the proposed contracting arrangements for integrated care providers (ICPs) on 3 August 2018 which concluded on 26 October. More information is available at the following link: https://www.engage.england.nhs.uk/consultation/proposed-contracting-arrangements-for-icps/ No ICP contracts have been placed in England. If, subject to the outcome of the consultation, NHS England decides to make the ICP Contract available for commissioners to use, it plans to study the impact of any ICP Contract arrangements.

Integrated Care Systems

Anneliese Dodds: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to ensure that Integrated Care Provider contracts do not divert resources away from acute services operated by the same provider.

Stephen Barclay: NHS England launched a 12 week public consultation on the proposed contracting arrangements for integrated care providers (ICPs) on 3 August 2018 which concluded on 26 October. More information is available at the following link: https://www.engage.england.nhs.uk/consultation/proposed-contracting-arrangements-for-icps/ The consultation documents provide more detail about the NHS England’s current proposals for ICPs, including:- An overview of integrated budgets; and- A summary of the types of organisations that might hold the proposed ICP Contract. The draft ICP Contract has been designed to enable a more collaborative, integrated model of care to be delivered, focusing on prevention. The ICP proposals would do nothing to change the level of resources available in local areas, and any decision to award a new contract or change existing contracts would be for local commissioners following full engagement with patients, the public and existing providers.

NHS: Standards

Mr Virendra Sharma: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what his Department's policy is on decision-making by NHS Trusts in the event that recommendations from (a) Getting it Right First Time and (b) NICE are contradictory.

Stephen Barclay: The National Health Service must comply with its current obligations concerning National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) guidance. The Getting it Right First Time (GIRFT) team engage with NICE before publication of reports. GIRFT clinical leads liaise with the Royal Colleges / professional societies relevant to the specialty, to review the data and findings and to develop recommendations that fulfil improvements for a range of partners, including: clinicians, trusts, commissioners, sustainability and transformation partnerships, professional bodies, and national public bodies.

Hospitals: Hygiene

Nigel Mills: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, pursuant to the Answer of 13 September 2017 to Question 8915 on Hospitals: Hygiene, when he plans to publish the data on hospital hand hygiene compliance.

Caroline Dinenage: The 2008 Health and Social Care Act’s code of practice on the prevention and control of infections requires adequate provision of hand washing facilities, information on the importance of compliance with hand hygiene for visitors, regular refresher training for health professionals and support for patients to wash their hands. The Care Quality Commission monitors compliance with this code. NHS Improvement leads on infection prevention and control and is developing a plan that will standardise policies and guidance on hand hygiene and will be looking at a national hand hygiene data collection and reporting methodology. This project is still in development and we will be able to advise on timelines as further updates are received from NHS Improvement.

NHS: Standards

Sir Roger Gale: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, when he plans to publish the Get it Right First Time report.

Stephen Barclay: Getting it Right First Time has published the following six reports: Orthopaedic Surgery - March 2015General Surgery - 4 August 2017Vascular Surgery - 1 March 2018Cardiothoracic Surgery - 12 April 2018Cranial Neurosurgery - 22 June 2018Urology - 11 July 2018 A further six reports are expected to be published shortly: Oral and Maxillofacial SurgerySpinal SurgeryOphthalmologyEar, Nose and Throat SurgeryPaediatric SurgeryObstetrics and Gynaecology

Attorney General

Attorney General: Apprentices

David Linden: To ask the Attorney General, how many apprentices are employed in his Department.

Robert Buckland: The Number of apprentices employed by the Attorney General’s Office (AGO) and the Law Officers Departments are shown below. Of the 30 apprentices employed by the Government Legal Department, one is currently on loan to the AGO.  AGO0GLD30CPS122SFO4HMCPSI0

Attorney General: Pay

David Linden: To ask the Attorney General, how many staff in his Department are paid less than £8.75 per hour.

Robert Buckland: Neither the Attorney General’s Office, nor its superintended departments (the Crown Prosecution Service, the Serious Fraud Office, the Government Legal Department and HM Crown Prosecution Service Inspectorate) have any staff paid below £8.75 an hour.

Attorney General: Pay

David Linden: To ask the Attorney General, how many staff in his Department are paid less than £10.20 per hour.

Robert Buckland: The Attorney General’s Office does not have any staff paid below £10.20 an hour. Figures for the department’s superintended departments are shown below. GLD0CPS36SFO0HMCPSI0

Wales Office

Wales Office: Pay

David Linden: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales, how many staff in his Department are paid less than £8.75 per hour.

David Linden: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales, how many staff in his Department are paid less than £10.20 per hour.

Nigel Adams: The Office of the Secretary of State for Wales is not an employer in its own right. The Ministry of Justice (MoJ) provide employment services on our behalf. MoJ staff are based in either our London or Cardiff offices. No MoJ staff in the Department are paid at a rate below £8.75 per hour and no MoJ staff based in our London office are paid at a rate below £10.20 per hour.

Department for Education

Religion: Curriculum

Jim Shannon: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether he has received representations on the exclusion of Christianity from the religious studies syllabus; and if he will make a statement.

Nick Gibb: No representation has been received on the exclusion of Christianity from religious education curriculum or the GCSE in religious studies. Teaching about Christianity is a mandatory element of religious education. All state funded schools in England are required to teach religious education from age 5. This must ‘reflect that the religious traditions of Great Britain are in the main Christian whilst taking account of the teaching and practices of the other principal religions represented in Great Britain.’ The government sets the content specification for Religious Studies GCSEs which requires students to demonstrate knowledge and understanding of the fact that the religious traditions of Great Britain are, in the main, Christian. Further information on GCSE subject content can be found at www.gov.uk/government/publications/gcse-religious-studies.

Health Education: Females

Vicky Foxcroft: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if he will make an assessment of the potential merits of the recommendations in the report, Break the Barriers: Girls' experiences of menstruation in the UK, published in January 2018 by Plan UK.

Vicky Foxcroft: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment his Department has made of the potential merits of introducing the P-card scheme proposed by Plan UK in its report Break the Barriers: Girls' experience of menstruation in the UK, published in January 2018.

Nadhim Zahawi: We are committed to ensuring that any action to support disadvantaged pupils is based on robust evidence. We have considered the research published by Plan UK and have used this to inform the department’s 2018 survey questions for pupils and senior school leaders. The department published additional analysis of its absence statistics, in March 2018, which show that whilst absence rates amongst girls increases after a certain age, there is no evidence to suggest that this is related to pupils being disadvantaged. This suggests period poverty does not have a significant, nation-wide impact on school attendance. Schools are best placed to assess the needs of their pupils, have discretion over how they use their funding and can make sanitary products available to disadvantaged pupils if they identify this as a barrier to attendance. We support schools in addressing the needs of disadvantaged pupils through the provision of the Pupil Premium, equivalent to more than £2.4 billion of additional funding this year alone.

Career Development Loans

Kwasi Kwarteng: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what plans he has to introduce a scheme that provides bank loans to pay for work-related courses and training to replace the Professional and Career Development Loan scheme after that scheme closes in January 2019.

Anne Milton: The majority of prospective Professional and Career Development Loan (PCDL) borrowers in England now have access to statutory loans such as Advanced Learner Loans, postgraduate master’s loans and doctoral loans. Demand for PCDLs has fallen significantly as a result.Statutory loans offer better repayment terms and greater protections than PCDLs and access to those is not dependent on an assessment of the applicant’s credit history.There are therefore no plans to replace PCDLs.

Department for Education: Apprentices

David Linden: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many apprentices are employed in his Department.

Anne Milton: There are currently 176 members of staff on an apprenticeship programme within the department.Recently published data detailing the Civil Service performance against the first year of the public sector apprenticeship target can be found here:https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/civil-service-apprenticeship-data-2017-to-2018.

Department for Education: Pay

David Linden: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many staff in his Department are paid less than £8.75 per hour.

David Linden: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many staff in his Department are paid less than £10.20 per hour.

Anne Milton: The Department for Education and its executive agencies do not have any employees who earn less than £8.75 per hour. There are 101 employees based outside of London who earn less than £10.20 per hour.

Ministry of Justice

Ministry of Justice: Conditions of Employment

Jim Shannon: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many times his Department has (a) received a request for and (b) suggested the voluntary downgrading of an employee; when that request or suggestion took place and for what reason; for what reason voluntary downgrading was (i) applied and (ii) rejected; and whether his Department (A) applied and (B) declined pay protection in the three years prior to 3 July 2017.

Lucy Frazer: The information requested could only be obtained at disproportionate cost. The Ministry of Justice’s employee information is maintained by a Shared Services function, however the Shared Services function does not maintain a detailed record of the reason/s for downgrading in their system, whether voluntary or business led. Shared Services would also not hold details for a rejected voluntary downgrade. Therefore, to locate and collate the information requested would require a manual check of all employee files across the Ministry of Justice and its Arm’s Length bodies, which would exceed the cost limit.

Legal Aid Scheme: Domestic Violence

Richard Burgon: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what estimate his Department has made of the potential cost of not taking into account jointly-owned homes when assessing the eligibility of victims of domestic violence for legal aid.

Lucy Frazer: The Government is clear that victims of domestic abuse must have access to the help that they need, including access to legal aid. Legal aid remains available for victims of domestic violence and child abuse where objective evidence of this abuse can be provided, subject to means and merits test.We are determined to improve the treatment of domestic abuse victims and have recently consulted on how best to build on the recent improvements we have made in this area. We are examining responses received to the consultation, ahead of publishing a formal Government response later this year.

Coroners: Legal Aid Scheme

Richard Burgon: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what estimate he has made of the annual cost to the public purse of legal aid for bereaved families for inquests under the exceptional case funding scheme in the last five years.

Richard Burgon: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what the cost to the public purse was for legal aid funding for inquests under the exceptional case funding scheme in the last five years was; and how many applications for that funding were (a) made, (b) granted and (c) denied broken down by reason for refusal in the same period.

Lucy Frazer: Information on the annual cost to the public purse of legal aid for bereaved families for inquests under the exceptional case funding scheme in the last five years could only be obtained at disproportionate cost.Costs for inquests under the exceptional case funding scheme in the last five years: Value (£'000)2013-14432014-152242015-165702016-178692017-18761Applications and grants for ECF inquest over the last 5 years: ApplicationsApplications granted2013-14201542014-152251102015-162401652016-172881652017-18419222Breakdown of refused and rejected ECF inquests applications, over the last five years Refused Costs increase refusalECF MeritsMeansMeans & ECF MeritsMeans & Merits (both)Normal & ECF MeritsNormal MeritsOther2013-14 393 138152014-15 24 65271172015-16 27   41712016-17 501  211152017-181995  11730 Rejected In ScopeIncompleteOtherPremature2013-14 2237 2014-1542110 2015-16115412016-17 231612017-1812181

Prisoners' Release

Richard Burgon: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many prisoners have been released from prison in error in each year since 2010.

Rory Stewart: Information on releases in error are published as part of the HM Prison and Probation Service Annual Digest. The latest publication can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/annual-hm-prison-and-probation-service-digest-2017-to-2018. Data for 2010 - 2018 is included within the Chapter 1 table: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/729465/01-escapes-absconds.xlsx' in table 1.22Releases in error are rare and in the vast majority of cases offenders are returned to custody very quicklyWe work closely with the police to recapture those at large and investigate each incident thoroughly to see what lessons can be learned.

Ministry of Justice: Pay

David Linden: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many staff in his Department are paid less than £8.75 per hour.

Lucy Frazer: All MoJ employees are paid at least the National Minimum Wage and the National Living Wage.1479 staff employed by the Ministry of Justice (MoJ HQ, HMCTS, LAA, OPG and CICA) and 543 by HMPPS are paid at a rate below £8.75 per hour.

Ministry of Justice: Pay

Jim Shannon: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, whether his Department applied pay protection (a) as a reasonable adjustment, (b) for welfare reasons, (c) as part of an agreed retirement plan and (d) for other reasons to employees who voluntarily downgraded in the three years up to to 3 July 2017; and for what reason his Department declined pay protection for such employees during that period.

Lucy Frazer: The information requested could only be obtained at disproportionate cost.

Ministry of Justice: Apprentices

David Linden: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many apprentices are employed in his Department.

Lucy Frazer: The Ministry of Justice currently has 390 members of staff undertaking an apprenticeship programme.

Department for International Trade

Trade Agreements: Mexico

Antoinette Sandbach: To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, what progress he has made in transitioning the existing EU trade agreement with Mexico; and whether he has received any requests for changes to that agreement.

Antoinette Sandbach: To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, what progress he has made in transitioning the existing EU trade agreement with Chile; and whether he has received any requests for changes to that agreement.

Antoinette Sandbach: To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, what progress he has made in transitioning the existing EU trade agreement with Peru; and whether he has received any requests for changes to that agreement.

Antoinette Sandbach: To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, what progress he has made in transitioning the existing EU trade agreement with Morocco; and whether he has received any requests for changes to that agreement.

Antoinette Sandbach: To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, what progress he has made in transitioning the existing EU trade agreement with Algeria; and whether he has received any requests for changes to that agreement.

Antoinette Sandbach: To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, what progress he has made in transitioning the existing EU trade agreement with Tunisia; and whether he has received any requests for changes to that agreement.

Antoinette Sandbach: To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, what progress he has made in transitioning the existing EU trade agreement with Egypt; and whether he has received any requests for changes to that agreement.

Antoinette Sandbach: To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, what progress he has made in transitioning the existing EU trade agreement with Jordan; and whether he has received any requests for changes to that agreement.

Antoinette Sandbach: To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, what progress he has made in transitioning the existing EU trade agreement with Israel; and whether he has received any requests for changes to that agreement.

Antoinette Sandbach: To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, what progress he has made in transitioning the existing EU trade agreement with the Occupied Palestinian Territory; and whether he has received any requests for changes to that agreement.

Antoinette Sandbach: To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, what progress he has made in transitioning the existing EU trade agreement with Lebanon; and whether he has received any requests for changes to that agreement.

Antoinette Sandbach: To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, what progress he has made in transitioning the existing EU trade agreement with Syria; and whether he has received any requests for changes to that agreement.

Antoinette Sandbach: To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, what progress he has made in transitioning the existing EU trade agreement with FYR Macedonia; and whether he has received any requests for changes to that agreement.

Antoinette Sandbach: To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, what progress he has made in transitioning the existing EU trade agreement with Albania; and whether he has received any requests for changes to that agreement.

Antoinette Sandbach: To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, what progress he has made in transitioning the existing EU trade agreement with Serbia; and whether he has received any requests for changes to that agreement.

Antoinette Sandbach: To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, what progress he has made in transitioning the existing EU trade agreement with Montenegro; and whether he has received any requests for changes to that agreement.

Antoinette Sandbach: To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, what progress he has made in transitioning the existing EU trade agreement with Bosnia and Herzegovina; and whether he has received any requests for changes to that agreement.

Antoinette Sandbach: To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, what progress he has made in transitioning the existing EU trade agreement with Switzerland; and whether he has received any requests for changes to that agreement.

Antoinette Sandbach: To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, what progress he has made in transitioning the existing EU trade agreement with South Korea; and whether he has received any requests for changes to that agreement.

Antoinette Sandbach: To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, what progress he has made in transitioning the existing EU trade agreement with Antigua; and whether he has received any requests for changes to that agreement.

George Hollingbery: We have been in constant dialogue with all our trading partners to achieve continuity by replicating the effects of our existing EU trade agreements. They understand this must be primary objective, and securing continuity will be a strong foundation to build on our already successful trading relationship.

Department for International Trade: Apprentices

David Linden: To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, how many apprentices are employed in his Department.

George Hollingbery: As of 31st October 2018, the Department for International Trade employs 24 apprentices. A further 7 are due to start in November 2018, with the potential for more after that.

Department for International Trade: Pay

David Linden: To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, how many staff in his Department are paid less than £8.75 per hour.

George Hollingbery: The Department for International Trade does not have any UK staff paid less than £8.75 per hour.

Department for International Trade: Pay

David Linden: To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, how many staff in his Department are paid less than £10.20 per hour.

George Hollingbery: The Department for International Trade does not have any UK staff paid less than £10.20 per hour.

Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government

Migration Impacts Fund

Mr Roger Godsiff: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, if he will make an assessment of the merits for communities of reinstating the migrant impact fund.

Mrs Heather Wheeler: We launched the Controlling Migration Fund in October 2016, with £100 million available over four years, to provide additional support to local areas that are facing pressure as a result of recent migration. To date we have funded £74 million. The deadline for bids from local authorities for a share of the remaining £26 million in the Fund was 1 October. My officials are assessing the applications that were submitted and successful projects will be announced in the new year. We will consider how best to continue to provide support for areas in response to the impacts of recent migration as part of the next Spending Review.

Homes England: Finance

John Healey: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, if he will provide a breakdown by financial year of the allocations in Homes England's financial plan set out in strategic plan 2018-19 – 2022-23.

James Brokenshire: The Homes England Strategic Plan 2018 to 2023 sets out the agreed budget for 2018/19 and provisional budgets for future years to 31 March 2021. Following the Chancellor's recent Budget, the Department is working through the 2018/19 Supplementary Estimates process to align budget profiles with delivery plans. Updated budgetary information will be published once the Supplementary Estimates process has concluded. Budgets beyond 2020/21 will be agreed through the forthcoming Spending Review.

Multiple Occupation: Licensing

John Healey: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what assessment he has made of the level of risk of landlords bypassing rules licensing houses in multiple occupation by (a) acquiring bed and breakfast accommodation and (b) using outbuildings to house tenants.

James Brokenshire: The Government sees the risk of landlords circumventing this legislation by acquiring bed and breakfast (B&B) accommodation as low and is unaware of any cases of it. It is not unlawful for landlords to change from being an HMO landlord to a B&B provider. Landlords would simply be changing from one arrangement to another, and would have to abide by the appropriate framework accordingly.A small number of landlords who are rogue or criminal, knowingly rent out unsafe and substandard accommodation, including outbuildings. This is not specific to HMO regulation, but a wider issue about substandard accommodation upon which we are determined to crackdown.The Housing & Planning Act 2016 introduced a range of measures to deal with such landlords and they were implemented in 2017. Measures include: banning orders for the most serious and prolific offenders; civil penalties of up to £30,000 as an alternative to prosecution; and extension of Rent Repayment Orders to cover illegal eviction, breach of a banning order or failure to comply with a statutory notice.

Building Regulations and Fire Safety Independent Review

John Healey: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, with reference to the Independent Review of Building Regulations and Fire Safety: Final Report, published by his Department in May 2018, when he plans to publish a full response to that review.

James Brokenshire: In July the Government set out progress made on building safety reform plans following publication of the Independent Review of Building Regulations and Fire Safety, led by Dame Judith Hackitt. We have committed to providing a detailed statement to the House in the autumn on how it intends to implement a new regulatory system for building safety.

Social Services: Local Government Finance

Angela Rayner: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, with reference to paragraph 5.16 of Budget 2018, how the £410 million made available for social care in 2019-20 will be allocated to individual local authorities; and what restrictions will be placed on how that funding can be spent.

Rishi Sunak: The additional funding for local government, that was confirmed at Autumn Budget, means a real-terms increase in 2018/19 and 2019/20. We will announce the Government’s proposed funding allocations for the £410 million shortly. My Right Hon Friend, the Chancellor of the Exchequer, was clear that this money would enable local authorities to focus on their key priorities: adult and children’s services.

Leasehold: Ground Rent

John Healey: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what is the average amount of ground rent charges by government office region based on the latest available English Housing Survey data.

James Brokenshire: Holding answer received on 06 November 2018



MHCLG collects data on ground rents via the English Housing Survey. The data is incomplete and only covers owner occupiers who live in leasehold dwellings. Leaseholders who rent their property to tenants are excluded because the English Housing Survey is not a survey of landlords. The data is available from the UK Data Service so users who wish to produce statistics on average ground rent charges for owner occupiers can obtain the data from here: https://www.ukdataservice.ac.uk/get-data.

Ministry of Defence

Ministry of Defence: Contracts

Derek Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what deductions from profit margins are permissible under MOD contracts; and what steps the Government is taking to ensure that there are no costs to the public purse from failed bids and other business related costs.

Stuart Andrew: The Ministry of Defence has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Department for Work and Pensions

Universal Credit

Stephanie Peacock: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what estimate she has made of the number of households using the childcare element of universal credit who have entered arrears on childcare costs.

Justin Tomlinson: The information requested is not held. The Government recognises that high childcare costs are a barrier which can prevent a parent from making the move into work, or from seeking to increase their earnings. To help parents to overcome this, the amount of support for childcare costs within Universal Credit was increased to 85 per cent, up from 70 per cent on Legacy benefits, which is worth up to £646.35 per month for those with one child, and up to £1,108.04 per month for those claimants with two or more children. Claimants with a firm or accepted job offer can claim childcare costs a month prior to starting in their new job and from 28 February 2018, claimants have been able to provide evidence of their childcare costs online, through their Universal Credit account. Previously this had to be provided via post or in person. Additional help to meet an initial payment for childcare costs may also be available to claimants in particularly difficult circumstances through the Flexible Support Fund. The available information on the number of households in receipt of the childcare cost element of Universal Credit is published and can be found at:https://stat-xplore.dwp.gov.uk/.Guidance on how to extract the information required can be found at:https://sw.stat-xplore.dwp.gov.uk/webapi/online-help/Getting-Started.html

Department for Work and Pensions: Apprentices

David Linden: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many apprentices are employed in her Department.

Justin Tomlinson: As at the end of September 2018, 2,288 DWP employees are currently undertaking an apprenticeship. To contextualise this figure with published Cabinet Office data:-In the period 31st April 2017 – 31st March 2018, DWP achieved a total of 1,309 apprenticeship startsIn the period 1st April 2018 – 30th September 2018, DWP achieved a total of 199 apprenticeship startsThe balancing figure refers to colleagues that were already undertaking an apprenticeship prior to April 2017 when the apprenticeship levy was introduced.

Department for Work and Pensions: Pay

David Linden: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many staff in her Department are paid less than £8.75 per hour.

Justin Tomlinson: The Department for Work and Pensions pays all employees at least the statutory National Living Wage of £7.83 per hour, regardless of age. The Living Wage Foundation advocates employers paying an alternative hourly rate known as the Real Living Wage (RLW) or London Living Wage (LLW). The current Real Living Wage is £8.75. Based on the working hours calculation used by the Living Wage Foundation DWP paid no employees less than £8.75 per hour as at September 2018. Please note this figure excludes employees on long term unpaid breaks, such as carer’s leave.

Department for Work and Pensions: Pay

David Linden: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many staff in her Department are paid less than £10.20 per hour.

Justin Tomlinson: The Department for Work and Pensions pays all employees at least the statutory National Living Wage of £7.83 per hour, regardless of age. The Living Wage Foundation advocates employers paying an alternative hourly rate known as the Real Living Wage (RLW) or London Living Wage (LLW). The current London Living Wage is £10.20. Based on the working hours calculation used by the Living Wage Foundation DWP paid 15,371 employees less than £10.20 per hour as at September 2018. However, of these, only 14 are in London. Please note this figure excludes employees on long term unpaid breaks, such as carer’s leave.

Personal Independence Payment: Chronic Fatigue Syndrome

Jess Phillips: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how the health condition of fatigue is assessed by the personal independence payments assessment.

Sarah Newton: With the exception of claims made under special rules for the terminally ill, the assessment for Personal Independence Payment is on the basis of the needs arising from a long-term health condition or disability, not the health condition or disability itself.

Universal Credit

John Healey: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assessment he has made of the effect of universal credit on the funding available to providers of accommodation through the Severe Weather Emergency Protocol.

Justin Tomlinson: Neither DWP nor MHCLG collect data on how Local Authorities fund Severe Weather Emergency Protocol so are unable to comment on any impact Universal Credit may have on funding.

Children: Maintenance

Ronnie Cowan: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, pursuant to the Answer of 30 October 2018 to Question 182229 on Children: Maintenance, if she will publish those same figures for Inverclyde constituency.

Justin Tomlinson: The number of paying parents with any unpaid maintenance, and the corresponding amount of money outstanding of such unpaid maintenance as of June 2018 for the constituency of Inverclyde are outlined in the table below. This includes all paying parents with unpaid maintenance regardless of whether there is an ongoing maintenance liability.   Number of paying parents with unpaid maintenanceAmount of unpaid maintenance (£)Inverclyde150230,000 Paying parents are rounded to the nearest 10; unpaid maintenance is rounded to the nearest £10,000.

Department for Work and Pensions: Brexit

Jon Trickett: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how much her Department has spent on consultancy fees relating to the UK leaving the EU since July 2016.

Justin Tomlinson: Since July 2016 the Department has not incurred any costs as a result of consultancy fees relating to the UK leaving the EU.

Universal Credit: Self-employed

Margaret Greenwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, with reference paragraph 5.38 on page 78 of the Budget 2018 Red Book, what estimate she has made of the effect on the public purse of the delay until April 2020 of the reduction of the level of earnings to be disregarded under the surplus earnings rule from £2,500 to £300.

Alok Sharma: Holding answer received on 05 November 2018



The estimated government spend on the planned reduction of the surplus earnings de minimis from £2500 to £300 in April 2019 to April 2020 is provided in the table below: Welfare (£m)2018- 192019-202020-212021-222022-232023-24TotalDelay to surplus earnings0-1000000-100 Note: Figures are rounded to the nearest £5 million. A negative value indicates spend.

Social Security Benefits: Fraud

Louise Haigh: To ask the Secretary of State for the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what estimate she has made of the cost to the public purse of welfare and benefits fraud committed by serious and organised criminals in the last three years.

Justin Tomlinson: The requested information is not readily available and can only be provided at disproportionate cost.

Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs: Apprentices

David Linden: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how many apprentices are employed in his Department.

George Eustice: There are 48 apprentices employed in Defra at 30 September 2018.

Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs: Pay

David Linden: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how many staff in his Department are paid less than £8.75 per hour.

George Eustice: There are no staff in the Department paid less than £8.75 per hour.

Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs: Pay

David Linden: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how many staff in his Department are paid less than £10.20 per hour.

George Eustice: There are 56 staff in the Department, based in the National pay region, paid less than £10.20 per hour. There are no staff based in the London pay region paid less than £10.20 per hour.

Birds: Conservation

Mr Barry Sheerman: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what representations he has received on protecting the bittern under phase one of the 2016 Special Protection Area Review; and what steps he is taking to implement the recommendations of that review.

Dr Thérèse Coffey: We have not received any representations on protecting the bittern under phase one of the 2016 Special Protection Area (SPA) Review. We have however received an SPA review phase two report from the Joint Nature Conservation Committee, which sets out potential options to address the insufficiencies identified in the phase one report. Officials are currently considering the implications of the report in liaison with Natural England, noting that work to refine these options will need to be prioritised in order to make best use of resources. For the bittern, the report highlights that there are SPA insufficiencies, which may be addressed by adding the species as a feature of other existing SPAs, where it is present in sufficient numbers. This confirms that the species has expanded in numbers and range, indicating that our conservation measures, including the SPA network, are proving effective.

Beverage Containers: Recycling

Tom Brake: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what discussions he has had with the Chancellor of the Exchequer on the viability of developing exemptions for fully recyclable coffee cups as part of any future levy.

Dr Thérèse Coffey: As set out by the chancellor in the Budget, the government has concluded that a levy on the production of all disposable cups would not be effective at this time and therefore is not considering exemptions for recyclable coffee cups. The Government will look at the best way to tackle the environmental impact of cups in the upcoming Resources and Waste Strategy.

Solid Fuels: Heating

Philip Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what discussions his Department has had with (a) Ministers and (b) officials at the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport on the potential effect on heritage railway services and UK tourism of the proposals in the Government's consultation on cleaner domestic burning of solid fuels and wood; and if he will make a statement.

Dr Thérèse Coffey: Earlier this year, the Department set out our proposals to reduce the emissions of harmful particulate matter from the domestic burning of solid fuels, the largest source in the UK. Our consultation received over 500 responses, and officials are currently analysing the responses. We will publish our response to this consultation by the end of the year. Our proposals relate solely to the burning of household coal and wet wood in domestic properties. We are not proposing any restrictions regarding smokeless coal. We are not proposing any restrictions or regulations relating to the use of solid fuels (including coal) in heritage railways. There have therefore been no Ministerial- or official-level meetings between the Department and the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport on this matter.

Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs: Brexit

Tom Brake: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 30 October to Question 182668 and to the Answer of 16 October to Written Question 175821, in what policy areas projects are behind schedule.

David Rutley: I refer to my answer of 30 October to Question 182668 – the projects are updated on a regular basis as our monitoring is constantly updated. The department takes action to ensure projects that were behind schedule are delivered on time.

Home Office

Home Office: Universal Credit

Chris Stephens: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what estimate he has made of the (a) number and (b) proportion of staff employed by his Department in receipt of universal credit; and if he will make a statement.

Victoria Atkins: Members of staff apply for universal credit in a personal capacity and there are a number of different factors which determine whether or not an individual is eligible. It is not appropriate for the Department to seek this information from its staff and therefore it is not possible for the Secretary of State for Home Office to make an estimate of numbers, or a statement.

Slavery: Victim Support Schemes

Alex Norris: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether (a) the main contractor and (b) any sub-contractors of the Victim Care Contract for victims of modern slavery have signed a non-disclosure agreement.

Victoria Atkins: There are no non-disclosure agreements within the current Victim Care Contract, the prime contractor and sub-contractors are subject to the standard commercial confidentiality clauses within the Contract.The Home Office is using non-disclosure agreements, specifically in the pre-procurement, early market engagement phase for the procurement of the new Contract in order to facilitate commercial discussions.

Asylum: Employment

Vicky Foxcroft: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, with reference to the Lift the Ban report entitled Why people seeking asylum should have the right to work, published in October 2018, what assessment the Government has made of the economic cost of preventing people seeking asylum from working.

Caroline Nokes: The UK has a proud history of providing protection to those who need it and this Government is committed to delivering a fair and humane asylum system.Whilst the Government has not assessed the economic cost of granting asylum seekers the right to work in the UK, our current policy is consistent with EU law and permits asylum seekers to work, in jobs on the Shortage Occupation List, if they have been waiting for a decision on their claim for 12 months or more and the delay is through no fault of their own. We are tackling delays in decision-making and have plans in place to improve the speed at which outstanding claims are decided.It is important to focus on providing support for those who are recognised as refugees, to help them to integrate and find employment, so that they can rebuild their lives here.

Asylum: Employment

Vicky Foxcroft: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment he has made of the effect of restrictions on the right to work for people seeking asylum on the long-term integration prospects of people who are subsequently granted leave to remain.

Caroline Nokes: Government support towards integration is focussed on those recognised as those being in need of protection.This Government is committed to ensuring that all those recognised as refugees in the UK are able to integrate and realise their potential. The Government published the Integrated Communities Strategy Green Paper in March 2018, which included measures relating to integration for refugees. We are considering responses to the consultation, and plan to publish the Government’s response later this year.Our current policy on the right to work for asylum seekers is consistent with EU law and permits asylum seekers to work, in jobs on the Shortage Occupation List, if they have been waiting for a decision on their claim for 12 months or more and the delay is through no fault of their own.

Asylum

Vicky Foxcroft: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what recent estimate he has made of (a) the number of asylum seekers living in the UK awaiting a decision on their claim for refugee status and (b) the average amount of support from the public purse that those asylum seekers are receiving each week.

Caroline Nokes: All asylum claims lodged in the UK are carefully considered on their individual merits against a background of relevant case law and up to date country information. We ensure that claimants are given every opportunity to disclose information relevant to their claim before a decision is taken. Where an asylum claimant establishes a well founded fear of persecution or serious harm in their country of origin, they are normally granted protection and are not expected to return there.The number of asylum seekers living in the UK awaiting a decision on their claim for refugee status currently stands at 22,579. This figure has been taken from Asylum Transparency data - August 2018, found at the following link:https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/asylum-transparency-data-august-2018The COMPASS contracts provide asylum seekers, who claim to be destitute, with full board accommodation, in Initial Accommodation, while their means are assessed. Dispersal Accommodation is available to those who qualify, and a small weekly allowance of £37.75 per person per week for food and other essential expenses is provided whilst their application for asylum is being considered.

Refugees

Vicky Foxcroft: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what estimate his Department has made of the number of applications for refugee status that have (a) been made, (b) refused, (c) accepted and (d) accepted after appeal by applicants in (i) the UK, (ii) London and (iii) the London Borough of Lewisham in the last two years.

Caroline Nokes: The Home Office does not publish data relating to the number of applications for refugee status that have been made, granted, refused or granted at appeal from specific parts of the UK. Providing such data could only be obtained at disproportionate cost. However, the Home Office publishes figures on the outcome of all asylum claims in the Immigration Statistics release. A copy of the latest release, Immigration Statistics Year Ending June 2018, is available from:https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/immigration-statistics-year-ending-june-2018-data-tables.

Immigration: Biometrics

Mrs Madeleine Moon: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many people have been issued with a Biometric Residence Permit that will require them to leave the UK when their youngest child reaches the age of 18 in each of the last five years; and if he will make a statement.

Caroline Nokes: The Home Office does not collate or publish the statistical information in the format requested.The Home Office does not routinely require people to leave the UK on the expiry of a Biometric Residence Permit. It is open to such individuals to make an appropriate application for further leave in the UK prior to the expiry of any Biometric Residence Permit they may hold.

Visas

Mrs Madeleine Moon: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many settlement visas his Department has issued in each of the last 10 years; and if he will make a statement.

Caroline Nokes: Information on the number of visas granted by detailed category is published in the quarterly Immigration Statistics, Visas volume 1 table vi_01_q, latest edition at https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/immigration-statistics-year-ending-june-2018/list-of-tables#visas

Vulnerable Adults

Louise Haigh: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what data collections (a) the National Police Chiefs' Council, (b) HM Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire and Rescue Services and (c) his Department hold on the mapping of vulnerable people.

Mr Nick Hurd: Local police forces and fire and rescue services collect relevant data on vulnerable people. This information is not held centrally.The Home Office collects data on crimes recorded by the police. Many of these, for example child sex offences, domestic abuse, modern slavery, are against vulnerable people. This data is available at police force area level as a minimum, and therefore as part of Home Office analysis, can be mappedAs part of their approach to inspecting and monitoring the performance of police forces (across England and Wales) and fire & rescue services (England only) Her Majesty's Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire & Rescue Services (HMICFRS) do collect and use data relating to vulnerable people. The data collected covers the whole force or service area (normally recorded as a count or volume of instances), and as such is not suitable to be used for the purpose of mapping vulnerable people. HMICFRS cannot identify individuals involved or their specific location from this data.HMICFRS hold some further information on incidents flagged by police forces which involve domestic abuse and mental health elements from 23 forces who are participating in a pilot exercise. This data is recorded at a defined geographical area, which is more localised than force level but is not comprehensive (either geographically or for vulnerability) and will not be used for mapping vulnerable people.The Home Office collects data on crimes recorded by the police. Many of these, for example child sex offences, domestic abuse, modern slavery, are against vulnerable people. This data is available at police force area level as a minimum, and therefore as part of Home Office analysis, can be mapped.

Police: Mental Health Services

Louise Haigh: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, with reference to the announcement entitled, Home Secretary awards £7.5 million for new national police welfare service, published by his Department on 12 July 2017, in which locations the pilots took place.

Mr Nick Hurd: In 2017 £7.5m was awarded to the College of Policing from the Police Transformation Fund to pilot, and if successful, fund a national welfare service.As part of the National Police Wellbeing Service Programme, the College of Policing is overseeing and evaluating a series of pilots which are testing a range of wellbeing-related interventions. These pilots are taking place in the following force areas: Hampshire, Avon & Somerset, Lincolnshire, South Wales, Metropolitan Police Service and Lancashire.

Law Enforcement Data Service

Louise Haigh: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what the timeframe is for the Law Enforcement Data Service to be fully operational.

Mr Nick Hurd: Subject to the necessary funding the Law Enforcement Data Service plans to provide a minimum capability to replace its predecessor systems, the Police National Computer (PNC) and Police National Database (PND), by 2020/21.

Police: Emergency Calls

Louise Haigh: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what information his Department holds on the number of abandoned 999 calls to police forces in England and Wales in the most recent year for which data is available.

Mr Nick Hurd: The Home Office does not collect this data. No one in need of help should have their calls to 999 unanswered or delayed. However, the handling of 999 calls is an operational matter for the police. It is for elected Police Crime Commissioners and Chief Constables to decide how best to manage their communications and response to the public, and gather the data they need to inform those decisions.

101 Calls

Louise Haigh: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what information his Department holds on the number of abandoned 101 calls in England and Wales in the most recent year for which data is available.

Mr Nick Hurd: The Home Office does not collect this data. The handling of 101 calls is an operational matter for the police. It is for elected Police Crime Commissioners and Chief Constables to decide how best to manage their communications and response to the public. However, any calls to 101 should be responded to in a timely manner.I should add that most forces offer additional channels for contacting the police on non-emergency matters, for example, via online reporting tools, webchat or, in some forces, social media. The Home Office is supporting policing to maximise its use of new technologies and investing significantly in the policing sector to help develop national capability. For example, the Home Office is supporting the Digital Policing Portfolio to help expand the way policing can engage with the public digitally, as well as face to face and on the phone.

Tommy Robinson

Louise Haigh: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what correspondence he has had with his US counterpart on Stephen Yaxley-Lennon.

Caroline Nokes: In my time as Home Secretary, I have not exchanged correspondence with my US counterpart on Stephen Yaxley-Lennon.

Crimes of Violence

Louise Haigh: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment his Department has made of the effect of increasing levels of violent crime on the operational capacity of police forces.

Mr Nick Hurd: The Minister for Policing and Fire has spoken to every police force in England and Wales in order to gain a better understanding of the demands they face.The Serious Violence Strategy published in April 2018 sets out 61 commitments and actions to respond to violent crime including actions to support and enhance police capability such as the new £3.6m National County Lines Coordination Centre to support operational policing and a new £1.4m police hub to tackle violent and gang related material available online.

National Police Air Service

Louise Haigh: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to the Answer of 26 October 2018 to Question 180820 on National Police Air Service, what assessment his Department has made of the adequacy of the operational capacity of the National Police Air Service.

Mr Nick Hurd: The National Police Air Service (NPAS) is a collaboration of English and Welsh Police Forces. The NPAS Strategic Board, comprised of Chief Constables and Police and Crime Commissioners, are responsible for overseeing the service. In addition HM Inspector of Constabulary and Fire and Rescue independently assesses the effectiveness and efficiency of police forces and last year published a study of Police Air Support.NPAS publish an annual report outlining the service’s performance and financial position. The Home Office does not collect performance information on NPAS.

Police

Louise Haigh: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to the Answer of 8 October 2018 to Question 176429 on Police, what meetings he has held with (a) the Strategic Lead at the National Police Coordination Centre and (b) the National Police Chiefs Council lead for contingencies, planning and coordination on the UK leaving the EU without a deal.

Mr Nick Hurd: Further to my answer to your previous question UIN 176429; my officials in the Home Office are working closely with the National Police Co-ordination Centre (NPoCC) and with the National Police Chiefs Council (NPCC) to determine the impact of EU Exit on policing and plan accordingly.It is entirely responsible and appropriate that we prepare for every eventuality and we will continue to work closely with our policing partners on contingency planning to ensure the safety and security of our citizens.

Home Office: Pay

David Linden: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many staff in his Department are paid less than £8.75 per hour.

Victoria Atkins: From April 2018, all employers in the UK were required to pay a new National Living Wage of £7.83 per hour. The Home Office pays all direct employees at least the statutory National Living Wage, regardless of age.There are 103 direct employees (all apprentices) of the Home Office who earn less than £8.75 per hour.

Crime

Nick Thomas-Symonds: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment he has made of the effect of any differences in the definition of serious crime would have on (a) criminal justice and (b) police cooperation between the EU and the UK after the UK leaves the EU.

Mr Nick Hurd: The Government has made a strong case for an ambitious and mutually beneficial future partnership with the EU that covers: mechanisms for rapid and secure data exchange, practical measures to support cross-border operational cooperation, and continued UK cooperation with EU law enforcement and criminal justice agencies.Negotiations on the future relationship between the UK and the EU in the area of criminal justice and law enforcement cooperation is ongoing so we cannot pre-judge the outcome, but at this stage there is no reason to expect that differences in the definition of serious crime will be an issue.

Agriculture: Migrant Workers

Nigel Dodds: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what agri-food related occupations will be eligible under the Migration Advisory Committee's recommendations to expand Tier 2 migrant access after the UK has left the EU.

Caroline Nokes: The Government recognises the valuable contribution that overseas workers make to the UK economy and to our society. We are currently developing options for the future system which will be designed to work in the national interest.On the 18 September, the Migration Advisory Committee published their final report on the current patterns of EEA migration into the UK. We are carefully considering their fourteen recommendations. We plan to publish a White Paper setting out more detail on the future arrangements later in the Autumn.

Newham Monitoring Project: Surveillance

Lyn Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what information his Department holds on covert police (a) surveillance and (b) infiltration of the Newham Monitoring Project.

Lyn Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, in which periods police surveillance or infiltration of the Newham Monitoring Project took place.

Lyn Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many police officers have engaged in surveillance or infiltration of the Newham Monitoring Project over the lifetime of such activities.

Lyn Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if he will publish all police files directly relating to the surveillance or infiltration of the Newham Monitoring Project.

Mr Nick Hurd: In 2015 the Home Office established the Undercover Policing Inquiry to investigate and report on undercover police operations conducted by English and Welsh police forces in England since 1968. The Home Office is a core participant in the Inquiry and is in the process of disclosing material relevant to its terms of reference.The Newham Monitoring Project and the Metropolitan Police are also core participants in the Inquiry. The Inquiry’s investigations are live and ongoing and it would therefore not be appropriate for the Government to comment further. The Inquiry’s approach and plans to report are set out in its strategic review, which was published in May 2018.

Home Office: Apprentices

David Linden: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many apprentices are employed in his Department.

Victoria Atkins: The current number of apprentices in employment at the Home Office and undertaking an apprenticeship is 348.

Right of Abode: Veterans

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, when his Department plans to make a decision on whether to grant right of abode to former British-Hong Kong servicemen.

Caroline Nokes: We have received a number of representations on this matter, all of which are being actively considered.

Department for International Development

Gaza: Overseas Aid

Richard Burden: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what steps her Department is taking to introduce a new economic development package in Gaza to (a) increase trade (b) support job creation and (c) enhance the supply of electricity and clean water.

Alistair Burt: In July 2018 the UK committed to provide up to £38 million over five years (2018-2023) to support economic development in Gaza and the West Bank. Through this programme we will increase trade and job creation across Gaza and the West Bank by helping to enable greater movement and access for people and goods. We will also provide support to facilitate the construction of the Gaza Central Desalination Plant, which will increase access to clean piped water and help replenish the Gaza aquifer, and in turn help Gazans access clean water. In addition, this UK aid programme will help to install solar panels for hospitals, businesses and households, increasing the availability of electricity in Gaza. Since July 2018, we have been undertaking routine design and early-implementation stage activities, such as assessing implementing partners to ensure they meet DFID’s delivery standards, clarifying and agreeing roles and responsibilities, and setting out expected outcomes, results and timelines.

Scotland Office

Food Banks: Scotland

David Linden: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland, whether he plans to visit a food bank in November 2018.

David Mundell: I currently have no plans to visit a food bank in my capacity as Secretary of State for Scotland in November 2018.

Department for Exiting the European Union

Department for Exiting the European Union: Apprentices

David Linden: To ask the Secretary of State for Exiting the European Union, how many apprentices are employed in his Department.

Suella Braverman: At the time this question was received there are 12 apprentices employed by the Department for Exiting the European Union.

Department for Exiting the European Union: Pay

David Linden: To ask the Secretary of State for Exiting the European Union, how many staff in his Department are paid less than £8.75 per hour.

Chris Heaton-Harris: I can confirm that all staff directly employed by the Department for Exiting the European Union are paid more than £8.75 per hour. All staff are paid above the living wage, as defined by the Living Wage Foundation.

Department for Exiting the European Union: Pay

David Linden: To ask the Secretary of State for Exiting the European Union, how many staff in his Department are paid less than £10.20 per hour.

Chris Heaton-Harris: I can confirm that all staff directly employed by the Department for Exiting the European Union are paid more than £10.20 per hour. All staff are paid above the living wage, as defined by the Living Wage Foundation.

Treasury

Sanitary Protection: VAT

Vicky Foxcroft: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer,  if he will make an assessment of the effect on period poverty of the recommendation on exempting feminine hygiene contained in the report Break the Barriers: Girls' experience of menstruation in the UK, published by Plan UK in January 2018.

Mel Stride: The Government agrees that Value Added Tax should not be levied on women’s sanitary products. That is why we apply the minimum permissible VAT rate of 5 per cent to women’s sanitary products and have committed in legislation to introducing a zero rate of Value Added Tax for these supplies as soon as it is legally possible. However, at present, such a measure would constitute a breach of European Union legislation.

Railways: Dawlish

Luke Pollard: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, with reference to page 67 of the Budget 2018 Red Book, what funding he has allocated for resilience work in Dawlish.

Robert Jenrick: The government committed to £15 million of funding in November 2016. The essential improvement works are to begin in November of this year to strengthen the cliffs and protect the sea wall at Dawlish. Further plans for major improvements of the seawall at Dawlish will be published in the summer 2019. Overall, we are investing more than £400m in the rail network in the South West and will continue to work with Network Rail and the Peninsula Rail Task Force to explore the potential for longer-term improvements from summer 2019 onwards.

Tax Avoidance

Mr Nigel Evans: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what proportion of the £3.2 billion that the Loan Charge 2019 is estimated to raise for the public purse by 2021 is projected to be recovered from scheme providers.

Mr Nigel Evans: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer,what proportion of the £3.2 billion that the Loan Charge 2019 is estimated to raise for the public purse by 2021 is projected to be recovered from scheme users.

Mr Nigel Evans: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, how much money has been recovered for the public purse from scheme providers as a result of settlements relating to the Loan Charge 2019.

Mr Nigel Evans: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, how much money has been recovered for the public purse from scheme users as a result of settlements relating to the Loan Charge 2019.

Mel Stride: The Government estimates that £3.2 billion from the loan charge policy will be collected from scheme users who can be employers or individuals. 75% of the estimated amount is expected from employers and 25% from individuals. Since the announcement of the 2019 loan charge at Budget 2016, HMRC has agreed settlements on disguised remuneration schemes with employers and individuals of over 650 million pounds. More than 90% of this amount was collected from employers, with less than 10% from individuals. If scheme users repay the loan or agree a settlement for the tax that they owe with HMRC, they will not face the charge.  Providers or promoters of tax avoidance schemes are not liable for the loan charge unless they themselves have used arrangements caught by the legislation. HMRC pursues those who promote or enable tax avoidance schemes to ensure that nobody profits from selling avoidance.

Treasury: Apprentices

David Linden: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, how many apprentices are employed in his Department.

Robert Jenrick: HM Treasury currently has 23 apprentices employed in the core Department. There are an additional 9 staff employed as apprentices who are awaiting enrolment on their apprenticeship.

Treasury: Pay

David Linden: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, how many staff in his Department are paid less than £8.75 per hour.

Robert Jenrick: No staff in HM Treasury are paid less than £8.75 per hour

Treasury: Pay

David Linden: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, how many staff in his Department are paid less than £10.20 per hour.

Robert Jenrick: Less than five members of staff are paid less than £10.20 per hour in HM Treasury. These employees are based outside of London.

Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport

Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport: Contracts

Tom Brake: To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, whether gagging clauses have been used in contracts drawn up between his Department and any charities, voluntary sector organisations, social enterprises or companies with the intention of stopping any criticism of Ministers of his Department.

Margot James: None of DCMS’ contracts include any statement that could be interpreted as a “gagging clause” of this kind.

Voluntary Work: Young People

Kate Green: To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, how much money his Department has spent on the UK’s participation in the European Solidarity Corps.

Jeremy Wright: To date DCMS has not funded the European Solidarity Corps. The Corps will be funded through the central EU budget once the first round of successful applications are announced at the end of the year.

UK Shared Prosperity Fund

Mr Steve Reed: To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, whether he has had discussions with the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government to discuss the design of the UK Shared Prosperity Fund.

Jeremy Wright: Ministers and officials from DCMS have regular discussions with their counterparts at MGCLG on a range of issues including the design of the UK Shared Prosperity Fund.

Social Impact Bonds

Mr Steve Reed: To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what the cost of social impact bonds has been to the public purse since 2010.

Jeremy Wright: Government has funded £53.65m worth of public services commissioned using Social Impact Bonds through the following completed programmes: Social Outcomes Fund for projects meeting multiple needs - £2.2mPeterborough Prison Offender Rehabilitation service - £3.95mFair Chance Fund providing services tackling youth homelessness - £14.1mGreater London Authority’s Rough Sleeping service - £3.4mInnovation Fund addressing youth unemployment - £30m. In addition the Government has committed up to a further £111m through the following programmes, some of which are are underway: Life Chances Fund, supporting public service commissioners around the country to use SIBs to address complex social issues - £80mYouth Engagement Fund tackling youth unemployment - £16mRough Sleepers SIB Programme - £10m£5m for Care Leavers as part of the Innovation Programme.

Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport: Apprentices

David Linden: To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, how many apprentices are employed in his Department.

Margot James: There are 11 apprentices currently employed by DCMS.

Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport: Pay

David Linden: To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, how many staff in his Department are paid less than £8.75 per hour.

Margot James: No staff in the Department are paid below £8.75 per hour.

Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport: Pay

David Linden: To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, how many staff in his Department are paid less than £10.20 per hour.

Margot James: No staff in the Department are paid below £10.20 per hour.

Satellite Communications

John Spellar: To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, if he will introduce legislative proposals to make it an offence to (a) own and (b) supply GPS jammers.

Margot James: Ofcom is the independent communications regulator responsible to parliament with functions and duties for protecting and managing the radio spectrum. Making jammers available is illegal. Provisions in the Wireless Telegraphy Act 2016 also make it illegal to use a jammer, but possession of jammers is not currently illegal.

Distributed Ledger Technology

Adam Afriyie: To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, when he plans to announce which projects will be run by DLT Field Labs to test the potential of distributed ledger technologies.

Margot James: As was announced at Budget 2018, the Digital Catapult will test the potential of their Field Labs concept, a small experimental trial of Distributed Ledger Technology, working with businesses, investors, and regulators, in a range of areas. We anticipate the first Field Labs will focus on the construction sector and the management of goods in ports.The Digital Catapult, while receiving significant long-term funding from the government, is an independent private sector entity. The specific arrangements of the Field Labs, including their participants, focuses, and timing, are therefore a commercial and private decision for the management of the Digital Catapult to take, and we expect it to set out further details in due course.

Cultural Relations

Giles Watling: To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what steps his Department is taking to promote cultural diplomacy.

Michael Ellis: We are taking a number of steps to promote cultural diplomacy, working very closely with FCO, the British Council and DIT to ensure that culture is fully integrated into the UK’s diplomatic activities, both at home and in our embassies around the world. This includes the GREAT campaign, annual Seasons of Culture, formal cultural agreements with other governments, the Cultural Protection Fund and UNESCO cultural conventions. Ministers also undertake regular international visits and hold frequent dialogues with foreign counterparts to strengthen our cultural diplomacy with key partner countries. DCMS is a leading contributor to the government’s forthcoming Soft Power Strategy, of which culture will be a core part.

Festival of Britain: Finance

Hannah Bardell: To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, whether the announced Festival of Britain is not money re-allocated from existing budgets.

Michael Ellis: £120 million of new funding is allocated to the Festival.

Football: Gambling

Mr Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what discussions he has had with representatives from (a) the Football Association and (b) other football governance bodies on the number of gambling companies sponsoring football clubs.

Jeremy Wright: Ministers have regular meetings with stakeholders in football to discuss a number of topics, and as with all sports, we encourage organisations who benefit from gambling advertising or sponsorship, including football clubs, to look at how they can contribute to raising awareness of the potential risks associated. Gambling logos are already banned on under-18 team shirts and last year the Football Association voluntarily decided to end its sponsorship partnerships with betting companies to avoid conflict with its role in enforcing rules on betting rules.

Lotteries: Reform

Mary Glindon: To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, when he plans to publish the outcome of his Department's consultation on society lottery reform which closed on 7 September 2018.

Jeremy Wright: The consultation on society lottery reform closed on 7 September. There were over 1,600 responses. My officials are now carefully considering the evidence and I hope to respond to the consultation in the first half of next year.

Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport: Big Society Capital

Mr Steve Reed: To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, how many meetings his Department has held with big society capital in (a) each year since 2012 and (b) 2018.

Jeremy Wright: Since 2012, Ministers and Office for Civil Society officials have met regularly with Big Society Capital to discuss the contribution of social investment to tackling key social issues.

Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport: Social Enterprises

Mr Steve Reed: To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, how many meetings his Department has held with social enterprises in (a) each year since 2012 and (b) 2018.

Jeremy Wright: My department regularly meets with voluntary, community and social enterprise (VCSE) organisations to understand their views and help inform policy. We do not hold a detailed break-down of the information requested.Social enterprises are important members of civil society and we consulted with the sector widley when developing the Civil Society Strategy. In June 2018 the Prime Minister also hosted a roundtable on social enterprise to discuss the role of social enterprise in the UK, and how the Government can support growth in this sector.

Social Enterprises

Mr Steve Reed: To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, with reference to the Civil Society Strategy, when he plans to publish information on the regular forum for social enterprises to coordinate relations with Government; and whether that forum will have an independent chair.

Jeremy Wright: The Civil Society Strategy is a long term vision of how government will work for and with civil society.Social enterprises are important members of civil society and the Strategy recognised the demand from the social enterprise sector for a simpler relationship with the government. Officials are currently working to implement commitments made in the Strategy and are keeping stakeholders informed and involved as this work progresses. Details of the forum for social enterprises to coordinate relations with the government will be set out in due course.

Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport: Social Impact Bonds

Mr Steve Reed: To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, how many official in his Department are working on projects related to social impact bonds.

Jeremy Wright: There are currently 4 full-time staff working in the Centre for Social Impact Bonds within the Office for Civil Society. In addition, the department’s finance and research staff provide support to social impact bond projects on a part-time basis.